कालिका Kalika (she who is black/the black one) Kali definition Kali is a Hindu Goddess, a fierce manifestation of the Mother Goddess Durga. She is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of tantric goddesses. Kali deep dive Derived from the word ‘kala’, which means both time and darkness and, as a warrior, Kali … Read more
माया Maya (magic/dream/illusion) Maya Definition In yogic philosophy, Maya is a term that means illusion. More specifically, the illusion that the world is the way it seems when we perceive it through our senses. It refers to the things that we, as humans, think are real, but are not. Though, as we will explore, different … Read more
सत्सङ्ग Sat (truth) + Sang (together) Satsang Definition There may be no older term for a spiritual gathering than satsang, or satsanga, a Sanskrit word derived from: Sat – truth, being, reality, purity, and; Sang – association, together, community, fellowship. It is sometimes understood to mean a sacred gathering or spiritual congregation. At its core, … Read more
गुरु Guru (heavy/venerable) Guru definition Guru, meaning heavy in Sanskrit, refers to a teacher. Heavy can be thought of as a figure who has more understanding, more knowledge, and thus, by virtue of their wisdom, is heavy or a heavyweight. The root, gṝ is used to form words such as gArayate, which means ‘to know’ … Read more
बोधिसत्त्व Bodhi (enlightenment) + Sattva (being) Bodhisattva Definition Within Buddhism a bodhisattva is an ordinary person who has chosen to walk the path of the Buddha – towards bodhi or awakening. A bodhisattva is a person dedicated to “their own awakening to the benefit of all others.” There are some famous bodhisattvas but anyone can … Read more